Robin Hood

About this video

In the old English stories, Robin Hood lived in a forest and robbed rich travellers, then gave the money to poor families who were hungry. People have loved the stories for six hundred years. But was Robin Hood right? His goal was good; his way of reaching it was stealing.

Philosophers split a plan like his into two parts. The end is the goal you want to reach: hungry families fed. The means is the way you reach it: taking money by force. The old question is whether the end justifies the means, that is, whether a good enough goal makes any way of reaching it right.

Someone who looks only at results answers: very often, yes. If the hungry families gain more than the rich travellers lose, taking the money did more good than harm, and the means are just more results to add up.

But think where that could lead. Suppose a footballer on Lena's team could win the final by pretending to be fouled, so the referee gives a penalty. The whole team, the school and all the parents would be happy, and only one other team would lose. The end is good for many; the means is a lie. Many people feel something has gone wrong here, even if the numbers add up, and they give reasons. Some means are wrong whatever they lead to: lying, stealing, using people. We are bad at guessing results, and people sure their good end justified bad means have often been wrong about the end. And the means shape who you become: someone who wins by cheating once finds it easier the next time. This video doesn't settle the question; it shows why it is still asked. This video goes with the Does the End Justify the Means? lesson of Ethics Level 1 on Knaph.

Transcript

1. 0:00Robin Hood robs rich travellers, and gives to hungry families.
2. 0:05The end, the goal, is good. The means, the way there, is stealing.
3. 0:11Looking only at results? If the hungry gain more than the rich lose, yes.
4. 0:17But a footballer fakes a foul to win the final. Good for many. A lie.
5. 0:23Some means are wrong anyway. We guess results badly. Means shape who we become.
6. 0:29Does the end justify the means? Judge them both.